Keep Pinellas Beautiful, a non-profit organization that focuses on environmental clean up has led the demonstration of BeBot last July 14, 2022. Bebot, the new solar-powered, beach-cleaning robot that was developed by Poralu Marine has arrived in Pinellas County to keep its beaches clean.
BeBot
BeBot is fully electric and can clean up to 32,000 square feet in an hour – about the size of seven basketball courts. That’s big! The white robot, which is about the size of a lawnmower, has a metal grate that shakes and vibrates, sifting through the sand and transfers larger particles of trash into a back compartment. This makes the machine more effective than collecting trash by hand. It is easy to maneuver, has smaller footprints and shallow cleaning depth that makes it clean trash effectively without disrupting nearby animals or habitats.
Overseen by Keep Pinellas Beautiful, the beach-cleaning robot visited 14 locations last July, from Clearwater to St. Pete Beach. After the robot dumped its collection onto a blue tarp, the volunteers sorted the trash. “You wouldn’t believe the amount of trash that we found. It’s astonishing,” said Patricia DePlasco, executive director of Keep Pinellas Beautiful. “We’re hoping that people will be more mindful and help us to keep Pinellas beautiful,” she added.
